Wireless communication systems include mobile stations (MS's), which communicate with access points (AP's), which collectively communicate using wireless and wired techniques. In a wireless communication system operating using an IEEE 802.11 protocol, or variant thereof, each access point controls wireless communication with those mobile stations in a localized communication region (also known as a “cell”). Mobile stations operating according to an IEEE 802.11 protocol, or variant thereof, attempt to determine in which cell they are operating, and attempt to communicate with the particular access point for that cell.